Speidel’s Master Brewer
Page 18 of 26
6
Brewing defects and eliminating problems
Problem
Eliminating the problem
Fountains of wort shoot up during circulation.
The malt is crushed too finely.
If necessary, crush the malt yourself (only break
it up).
Blocked pump.
Put on the filter cloth and sheet metal sieve
properly. Pour the malt into the malt pipe
carefully. No malt into the boiler!
The temperature’s initiation time is very long.
Put the lid on when heating. Place the Master
Brewer so that it is protected from the wind.
Condensation leaks out of the lid.
Place the Master Brewer horizontally.
The recirculation process does not run properly.
Check whether the pump is functioning and has
been ventilated. Check that the malt pipe is
evenly supported and that the seal does not leak.
The wort runs off very slowly or not at all
during the purging.
Pierce the malt with a wooden spoon several
times from above, down to the sheet metal
sieve. The malt is crushed too finely -> Just
break up the grains, do not crush them too
finely.
Problem
Eliminating the problem
The beer stinks and smells sour.
Bacteria have multiplied: throw the beer away.
Work properly in the cold area. The brewing
times could be too short, which has produced
too much starch in the beer. Stop replenishing
by malt. The replenishment is too hot (over
80°C).
The alcoholic content is too high.
Reduce the content of original wort by adding
water when boiling the hops.
The alcoholic content is too low.
Increase the content of original wort by boiling
longer (water vaporizes).
Strange smells of all kinds.
Greater cleanliness. Avoid touching the mould
and using metals other than stainless steel.
Avoid illuminating the beer during storage.
The fermentation does not function properly.
Add more yeast. ‘Activate’ the yeast. Check the
fermenting temperature. Ventilate the wort by
stirring.
The beer is cloudy.
Store the beer longer. Subsequently ferment
colder. No losses when bottling (decanting).
There is too little carbonic acid.
Too much carbonic acid is lost when bottling or
hosing. Freeze more wort and add it before the
decanting.
There is too much carbonic acid - the beer
foams over.
Too much pressure – ventilate the stirrup bottles
more frequently. Bottled too soon – the
fermentation had not ended yet. Too much wort
